Driving home after just filling the tank with gas, the truck sputtered and stopped running. I never had a problem with the truck running rough, idling rough or anything like that. I got it to the side of the road tried to start the engine. It will crank, but will not turn over and stay running.

After towing it home, I replaced the fuel filter. Nothing. I removed the out line from the filter and had my wife turn the key on. The pump in the tank was pushing fuel through the filter.

I removed the air filter and sprayed ether in and my wife turned the truck over. It ran until I stopped spraying the ether, then stopped. Running very rough.

Can anyone help me????? Thanks for the tips

Mark

My truck is a 2001 Chevrolet Silverado, 4WD, 5.3 liter engine.

 

Sounds like injector issue, do you have a security light on the dash? Probably not or it won't crank. Could be anti-theft issue, is there anything done previous to this problem?

 

No previous issues, no security light on the dash either. For about a year or so, the "low fuel" light will come on after filling up and the gas gauge will bounce back and forth between "e" and "f".

Please explain the anti theft issue? I am not sure what you mean.

Also could it be a fuse issue?

Marks

 

Did you put GASOLINE in the tank? Are you sure you didnt put DIESEL in the tank? Absolutely sure?

And if you did put gasoline nozzle into the tank. Is the liquid flammable? Does it smell like gasoline? Put a little into a bottle and walk out the curb and try to burn a little bit of it. If it is gasoline it will burn, if it is diesel it will burn, if it is water it wont.

 

You could have gotten a bad load of gas as Racerx posted. When you filled up, was it at a station you normally use or have never used?

 

Sorry, theft issue. Depending on the vintage you will have an anti-theft system Passkey 1, 2 or passlock or something even newer that I am not familiar with. I can use passkey2 since I am familiar somewhat with it. My car (95 lumina) has a "pellet key" in the key is a resistor that the system reads before it will even crank. It also has an immobilizer system that will kill the injectors after a couple seconds if it thinks there is a theft issue.

In your case I think it is bad gas. If I have a security issue with my car, and it has happened to me a couple times, car will not crank, and you will get the security light.

 

Man-the wheels fell off on this thread.Check the fuel pressure on this vehicle.Can you hear the pump running by just turning on the key??.It is a high percentage problem that the pump needs replacing and you do the fuel filter at the same time.Delphi on the pump only for the replacement and either Delco or Delphi on the fuel filter.A anti thief code would not allow ignition and the truck runs with spray meaning it is the lack of fuel keeping it from starting.

 

How did the wheels fall off this thread? He said all of these problems happened AFTER he refueled the car. It stalled and he can get it to turn over but not start.

If fuel is leaving the outlet of the filter then the pump does work. The question here is what did he put in the tank? And was it gasoline?

I lived in Florida a while back and there they put the diesel pump in the same bank as the gasoline pumps. In New York they place it apart from the gasoline and make the the pump handle orange just so you know it is different from the gasoline.

SO what is in the tank if it aint gasoline?

 

Just to have fuel out the filter isn't a fuel pressure check.It is more than likely it was just a coincident the pump took a dump while he was putting in gas.The percentages of it being a bad pump are very high.They do have a history.

Ya know....................gas companies divide up the bad gas.Really don't want it to be all in one state or another.

I suggest he replaces the pump after a fuel pressure test.Then update the truck starting.

 

I had the same problem, truck just quit on the road...would crank but not stay running. Ended up replaceing the fuel filter and fuel pump, about $260-$270 all together for the pump and filter. Rockauto.com is where i order all my parts. fast shipping and OEM grade parts. Truck ran like a champ after that!!

2003 Avalanche 1500
4X4
V8 5.3L
128,472 miles so far!